Voices echo the hall on an early October morning as Hogwarts students make their way towards their first lesson of the day. Most students with tired eyes and some occasional wide ones already rejuvenated from the caffeine they consumed. Ruth and Mary walk along with their classmates, chatting about what lesson could be next for defense against the dark arts.

"I heard we are learning Deprimo," Mary suggests, a mischievous smile on her face.

Ruth shakes her head, "No. I think that will occur later on in the year. It's quite a dangerous spell, and I think we're staying with jinxes and creatures until after Christmas."

"Oh, but that's no fun!" her friend exclaims as they turn the corner into another hallway, "What about stuff that will be useful? It's not like I'll encounter a pixie and remember what I did that one day in defense against the dark arts."

"Mary. You never know. Pixies are tricky, also. I personally would love to know how to stop one if that blue thing came at me."

"Now that is a sight I would love to see," someone says, walking up behind them, "Little Clayden here would run away scared. Worried that they'll mess up her hair."

"Oh please, Scamander," Ruth scoffs, facing the boy, "I bet you spend more time on your hair than anyone at this school."

He rolls his eyes at her remark before following the two into the classroom, "Whatever, Clayden."

Ruth smirks in triumph before her eyes settle on a large chest in the center of the room with all of the chairs pushed to the side. Professor Hectat stands proudly beside it, observing everyone's reactions as they enter.

"Are we going to be defeating a chest today?" Mary asks her friend, sarcasm dripping from her voice.

"No, Miss Watkins, we are simply defeating what's inside the chest." the professor responds, much to the student's surprise, who thought she was being quite discreet.

The tall girl laughs at her friend before racking her brain, trying to find out what creature could fit inside a box, and why the professor would put it in such a box. No movement appeared to be coming from inside, so she immediately marked off many creatures that she knows about.

"Is that a boggart, professor?" Theseus asks, infuriating Ruth that he found out before her.

"Why yes, Mr. Scamander. Good guess. Now, those who do not know what a boggart is, can someone explain?"

"It's a non-being that shapeshifts to the observer's worst fears. The only way to overcome it is to cast the spell Riddikulus," Ruth states quickly, trying to gain the upper hand over Theseus.

"Excellent Miss Clayden. Ten points to Hufflepuff," Hectat states before walking away from the chest towards her desk.

Ruth turns towards Theseus with a smug smile on her face, only to see him glaring at her. She flings her ponytail over her shoulder, "Hmm. Just too slow, Scamander. Better luck next time."

Mary laughs at the two prefects' interactions before lining up with the rest of the students.

"Alright, now to defeat the boggart, as Miss Clayden said, you must cast the spell Riddikulus. To do that, you must have a happy memory in your mind, much like the Patronus charm. Then you simply wave your wand like this," Professor Hectat demonstrates the simple wand movement to the class of fifth years.

Ruth's blue eyes follow the wand movements as she tries to remember each precise wave. This was a very big spell to learn, and she of course, did not want to face her fear for very long. She wanted to do it right and wanted to get it done quickly.

"Alright, line up, and I will release the boggart."

Mary somehow got before Theseus, and then Ruth ended up behind him, much to her disappointment. But I guess she wouldn't mind seeing the arrogant boy's fear.

Once Mary nodded to Professor Hectat, she opened the chest, releasing the boggart. At first, just a grey cloud, it slowly formed in front of Ruth's friend. A tall, bony nurse with a filthy white dress and a large white hat appears. Two large syringes wrapped in the nurse's long fingers, very long needles protruding from the medical device. The needles glimmer from the small amount of sun peeking into the classroom, and mysterious green liquid slowly drops from the tips.

The usually confident Mary's face whitens as she spots the two needles.

"Remember, imagine a happy memory and transform it into something funny. Say Riddikulus." Professor Hectat reiterates from behind the creature.

The brunette closes her eyes and shakes her head before focusing back on the creature, "Riddikulus."

The needles in the nurse's hand quickly become comical fairy wands, and the dirty white dress transforms into a tutu, causing the whole class to laugh at the sight. Mary smiles in triumph and walks towards the back, appreciating the smile Ruth gives her as she passes.

"Well done. Now it is Mr. Scamander's turn."

Theseus walks up to the nurse in the tutu and watches it transform into gray smoke. It spills onto the ground and reveals two dead bodies right next to a third struggling one.

The small boy on the ground looks up to Theseus, blood dripping out of his mouth. With a raspy voice, he mutters, "Why didn't you save us Theseus?"

Ruth's eyebrows furrow in concern, not expecting that fear to pop up for the Hufflepuff boy. She always thought it would be something selfish, backing up his arrogance. But instead, it was quite the opposite. It was his family.

Before she could finish her thought, Theseus casts the spell, transforming the scene into a trio of puppies playing on the ground.

Theseus quickly rushes towards the back of the room after accomplishing the spell. No smug look towards Ruth. No accomplished smile. Instead, he hid his face from the class as he walked back.

Ruth tries to figure out the look on his face, but the boggart begins to transform right in front of her. Familiar blue eyes bore into hers as she comes face to face with her mother.

"An E? You got an E on this exam?" a shrill voice echoes the room, causing Ruth to flinch, "I don't care what it stands for. It does not exceed my expectations. What would your father think if he knew you didn't get an O on Charms! You are such a failure to the family name. I am-"

"Riddikulus." Ruth exclaims, trying to stop her mother before the class hears anything else. And much to her relief, the spell works the first time, causing her mother to turn into a clown riding a unicycle. She throws a smile onto her face before swiftly turning around, avoiding the looks of her classmates.

She cannot get over how embarrassing that was.

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EDITED 11/6/2023

AUTHORS NOTE|| Thanks for reading :)